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Handheld PCs have garnered a lot of attention since gaining prominence with the release of Valve’s Steam Deck just a few years ago, and accessories for the devices are booming. As you might expect, there’s a healthy collection of 3D printable Steam Deck parts and accessories floating around, including the notable “Deckmate”, and an interesting 100% 3D printable alternative that was released in recent weeks: the Twystlock.

The Deckmate was a relatively early Steam Deck accessory that clips a modular mount onto the device’s back and allows users to attach accessories like a kickstand, wall or VESA mount, phone mount, or adhesive puck to adhere to other devices like a power bank.

Though the accessory is relatively affordable at $20 for the grip, the company behind it, Mechanism, offers free 3D printable Deckmate files for newsletter subscribers and even has a DIY parts kit available. But the company makes a case for its manufactured accessories by noting that small quantities of the parts work out to be pretty expensive anyway. If you’re a maker with the springs, screws, and inserts lying around, it might be worth it to print. Otherwise, buying from Mechanism might be preferable.

This past June, the Deckmate files appeared on Printables, so makes and remixes are now easily browsable.

But, recently, a new 3D printable accessory called the “Twystlock” launched: a 100% 3D printable Steam Deck accessory clip with similar functionality to the Deckmate. It arrives with a functional kickstand, wall and VESA mount, foldable sun shade, and a unique “belly stand” for gaming while laying down – somewhat functionally similar to Mechanism’s new “Gaming Pillow” that’s garnered attention from the handheld PC community.

The Twystlock notes on its website that it “require[s] no printed supports or additional parts. This means no springs to buy and no metal elements to melt in,” which sounds like it may have been designed with the Deckmate in mind.

If you want to print some Steam Deck accessories yourself, check out the Twystlock and Mechanism websites. Don’t have a 3D printer of your own? Consider ordering the models from a 3D printing service near you with All3DP’s Craftcloud.

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